Disclosed herein is a fabrication method for a semiconductor device, including a lithography step of connecting a plurality of mask patterns to each other to form a pattern image of an area greater than the size of the mask patterns. The lithography step includes the steps of: assuring an overlapping exposure region to be exposed in an overlapping relationship by both of two mask patterns to be connected to each other, carrying out exposure transfer of the pattern portions of the two mask patterns to the overlapping exposure region to form a first measurement mark and a second measurement mark in the overlapping exposure region, and carrying out positional displacement measurement of pattern connection by the two mask patterns based on a manner of combination of main marks and sub marks of the measurement marks formed in the overlapping exposure region.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device in which a plurality of mask patterns are used to form a pattern image of an area greater than the size of the mask patterns, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing, on one mask pattern, a first pattern portion corresponding to a main mark of a first measurement mark formed from a combination of the main mark and a sub mark and a second pattern portion corresponding to a sub mark of a second measurement mark having a same configuration as that of the first measurement mark and positioned at a position different from that of the first measurement mark; (b) providing, on another mask pattern, a third pattern portion corresponding to the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a fourth pattern portion corresponding to the main mark of the second measurement mark; (c) carrying out exposure transfer of the one mask pattern using an exposure apparatus such that the first and second pattern portions respectively create measurement mark patterns within an overlapping exposure region to form the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark in the overlapping exposure region; (d) positioning the another mask pattern for exposure and measuring displacement of the positions of the third and fourth pattern portions of the another mask pattern relative to the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark, respectively; and (e) carrying out exposure transfer of the another mask pattern using the exposure apparatus such that the third and fourth pattern portions create measurement mark patterns within the overlapping exposure region to respectively form the sub-mark of the first measurement mark and the main mark of the second measurement mark within the overlapping exposure region.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: determining an average value of a displacement amount of the main mark and the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a displacement amount of the main mark and the sub mark of the second measurement mark; and correcting positioning of the another mask pattern by moving the another mask pattern relative to the measurement marks of the one mask pattern so that the average value may coincide with a predetermined value.
3. A lithography exposure method carried out using an exposure apparatus in which original patterns are connected to form a pattern image having a size greater than the size of the original patterns, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing, on one mask pattern, a first pattern portion corresponding to a main mark of a first measurement mark formed from a combination of the main mark and a sub mark and a second pattern portion corresponding to a sub mark of a second measurement mark having a same configuration as that of the first measurement mark and positioned at a position different from that of the first measurement mark; (b) providing, on another mask pattern, a third pattern portion corresponding to the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a fourth pattern portion corresponding to the main mark of the second measurement mark; (c) carrying out exposure transfer of the one mask pattern using an exposure apparatus such that the first and second pattern portions respectively create measurement mark patterns within an overlapping exposure region to form the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark in the overlapping exposure region; (d) positioning the another mask pattern for exposure and measuring displacement of the positions of the third and fourth pattern portions of the another mask pattern relative to the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark, respectively; and (e) carrying out exposure transfer of the another mask pattern using the exposure apparatus such that the third and fourth pattern portions create measurement mark patterns within the overlapping exposure region to respectively form the sub-mark of the first measurement mark and the main mark of the second measurement mark within the overlapping exposure region.
4. A pattern correction method, carried out using a lithography exposure apparatus, in which a pattern image of a size greater than the size of original patterns by connection of the original patterns is transferred by exposure, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing, on one mask pattern, a first pattern portion corresponding to a main mark of a first measurement mark formed from a combination of the main mark and a sub mark and a second pattern portion corresponding to a sub mark of a second measurement mark having a same configuration as that of the first measurement mark and positioned at a position different from that of the first measurement mark; b) providing, on another mask pattern, a third pattern portion corresponding to the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a fourth pattern portion corresponding to the main mark of the second measurement mark; (c) carrying out exposure transfer of the one mask pattern using an exposure apparatus such that the first and second pattern portions respectively create measurement mark patterns within an overlapping exposure region to form the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark in the overlapping exposure region; (d) positioning the another mask pattern for exposure and measuring displacement of the positions of the third and fourth pattern portions of the another mask pattern relative to the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark, respectively; and (e) carrying out exposure transfer of the another mask pattern using the exposure apparatus such that the third and fourth pattern portions create measurement mark patterns within the overlapping exposure region to respectively form the sub-mark of the first measurement mark and the main mark of the second measurement mark within the overlapping exposure region wherein step (d) further comprises (1) determining an average value of a displacement amount of the main mark and the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a displacement amount of the main mark and the sub mark of the second measurement mark, both obtained by the positional displacement measurement, and (2) correcting positioning of the another mask pattern by moving the another mask pattern relative to the measurement marks of the one mask pattern so that the average value coincides with a predetermined value.
5. A semiconductor device obtained using a lithography process of connecting a plurality of mask patterns to form a pattern image of an area greater than the size of the mask patterns, the lithography process carried out using a lithography exposure apparatus and including the steps of: (a) providing, on one mask pattern, a first pattern portion corresponding to a main mark of a first measurement mark formed from a combination of the main mark and a sub mark and a second pattern portion corresponding to a sub mark of a second measurement mark having a same configuration as that of the first measurement mark and positioned at a position different from that of the first measurement mark; (b) providing, on another mask pattern, a third pattern portion corresponding to the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a fourth pattern portion corresponding to the main mark of the second measurement mark; (c) carrying out exposure transfer of the one mask pattern using an exposure apparatus such that the first and second pattern portions respectively create measurement mark patterns within an overlapping exposure region to form the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark in the overlapping exposure region; (d) positioning the another mask pattern for exposure and measuring displacement of the positions of the third and fourth pattern portions of the another mask pattern relative to the main mark of the first measurement mark and the sub-mark of the second measurement mark, respectively; (e) carrying out exposure transfer of the another mask pattern using the exposure apparatus such that the third and fourth pattern portions create measurement mark patterns within the overlapping exposure region to respectively form the sub-mark of the first measurement mark and the main mark of the second measurement mark within the overlapping exposure region, wherein step (d) further comprises (1) determining an average value of a displacement amount of the main mark and the sub mark of the first measurement mark and a displacement amount of the main mark and the sub mark of the second measurement mark, both obtained by the positional displacement measurement, and (2) correcting positioning of the another mask pattern by moving the another mask pattern relative to the measurement marks of the one mask pattern so that the average value coincides with a predetermined value.
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April 24, 2008
April 5, 2011
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